


Who are we actually fighting?

by Fandoms_Ruin_Life



Series: The Butterfly Effect [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Natasha Romanov, Alpha Nick Fury, Alpha Pepper Potts, Alpha Phil Coulson, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha Thor (Marvel), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Bruce Banner, Beta Clint Barton, Brainwashed Loki (Marvel), Canon Rewrite, F/M, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Hurt Loki (Marvel), Hurt Phil Coulson, Hurt Tony Stark, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Omega Loki (Marvel), Omega Tony Stark, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Thor (Marvel), The Avengers (2012) - Freeform, The Avengers Are Good Bros, The Stucky is in the past because Steve still thinks he is dead at this point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23690923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Ruin_Life/pseuds/Fandoms_Ruin_Life
Summary: What if Thanos had used the mind stone on Loki? What if Thor had noticed his blue eyes? How would this one difference affect the universe everyone knows and sometimes loves?Strap in, it's going to be a long journey.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: The Butterfly Effect [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706080
Comments: 13
Kudos: 96





	1. Square deal. Fly safe

**Author's Note:**

> You may recognise this. That is because I have posted this chapter before. But at the time I had no plans for this story and after a while deleted it from ao3 just in case anyone got their hopes up for a story that may have never come to fruition. 
> 
> However, now I have planned out exactly what is going to happen in this rewrite. Just a warning: this is going all the way up to Endgame and then beyond. Be prepared for a long journey because I'm a horrible updater and take ages to write anything that is more than a plan.

“Pep! Honestly, I’ll be fine! Stop going all Alpha on me. You know- as well as I do- that they have just called me in on a consulting basis.”

Pepper sighed and pulled her mate closer to her, “I know that Tony, but we both also know that you never listen to anyone and are always somehow in the middle of everything”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll read all of this, you go give Agent (who is not so subtly listening in) a ride to wherever and at the slightest hint of trouble, I give both you and Rhodey permission to haul ass and help.”

Rolling her eyes, Pepper nodded and said, “Fine. Do your homework and please try not to destroy anything.” she glanced over at Agent Coulson and ensured that he couldn’t hear what she was about to say. That man was only here because she could tell that he was distressed (despite the outward appearance he was presenting) and she felt sorry for him. That pity, however, did not lend itself to matters of pack.

As the head of a pack of three lupi hominum and various robotic children courtesy of Tony, she had certain responsibilities- even if certain members did not deem it necessary. The protection of the Omega was one of the most important things to any pack, as once an Omega is introduced, their presence is essential if a bond was to be maintained between all members. But to Pepper, this protection was more than just a duty to be carried out. She and Tony genuinely loved each other, and had mated each other a while back. It would destroy her if anything happened to him, she was certain of it.

“That place is swarming with Alphas and do not think for one second that I am happy that you have to be in such close proximity with them when I am nowhere near you.” She said in a low voice so as not to be overheard, “I am well aware of how desirable you are and I am also aware of how Alphas in high positions of power can be and-”

“Pep, really-”

“Tony, please let me finish. I know you don’t like me going all ‘you- Omega, me- Alpha’ on you but the Alpha in me needs to know that you are protected. We have only just completed the mating bond so I am still on high alert right now, so please. Please let me have this?”

Tony looked at her pleading faced and sighed, he could never deny her anything, “Fine. But don’t expect me to indulge you like this when there is ‘not pack’ around in the future. I have a rep to maintain here!”

That, at least, brought a small smile to her face. Tony was pleased to see it, even if it only lasted for a few seconds before she once again had her concerned, protective face on. “Those Alphas never get held to the same expectations as the rest of society and really that is saying something. So I guess what I am saying is please just watch out for yourself and come back to me? I know we have Rhodey but he is gone more often than he is here, you are all that I have.”

“Sure Pep. But I've lived most of my adult life without knowing you, and I've always been fine." At her unamused look, he softened his tone, "and haven’t we already gone over this? You are all that I have too.”

At that last phrase, Pepper’s inner Alpha reared her possessive instincts and she leant down to gently scrape her teeth over the claiming mark on his neck. Tony shuddered in her arms as she crowded him trying to get as much of her scent onto him as possible. He vaguely noticed Agent looking very uncomfortable near the door but couldn’t bring himself to care, this was his building and the Agent could leave if he had that much of an issue with PDA.

Once the mark was red once more and there were several other bruises starting to appear on Tony’s neck, Pepper pulled back with a smug smile on her face before smoothing down her shirt and putting her heels back on. Once she stood back up she grinned at the sudden height difference. This is because without heels, although she was still taller than her mate, it wasn’t very noticeable. With heels however, she was a good three inches taller and Pepper wasn’t ashamed to admit that she loved it.

She had never been very tall in comparison to most other Alphas and in her youth and had accepted the fact that if she ever claimed an Omega, they were likely going to be taller than her. Tony hated his height, so much so that he always wore shoes with both a lift and a small heel. It wasn’t until she had caught him off guard in the kitchen a few years into her employment under him that she realised that she actually had a few centimetres on him. Pepper wasn’t going to lie, that day was still one of the best in her life, especially with the recent change in their relationship. Her childhood fears never came to fruition, and although she knew that it was such a vain thing to be worried about, she didn't even try to repress the pleasure she gained from Tony's lack of height. 

Why admit to a problem if that problem had already been solved?

Soon, however, she could tell that Tony was getting tired of conforming to stereotypes around someone he barely knew. That was why she wasn't surprised when Tony, deciding that he had indulged Pepper enough, transformed his small smile turned into a flirty grin. “So, oh mighty Alpha of mine. What do I get as a reward for doing all this work when we could be doing something so much more fun?”

Pepper couldn't suppress a smile, her Omega was so predictable.“If I recall correctly, you are the one that convinced me to let you go.”

“Semantics.”

“Well alright then. Do your homework and well…” She leaned in so she could whisper into Tony’s ear, “let’s just say that when you get home you will be reminded exactly who you belong to.”

Mouth now dry in anticipation, Tony swallowed a few times before stammering, “Square deal. Fly safe”

“Work hard.” Pepper whispered before kissing him and walking over to join Agent Coulson at the door, revelling once again in a job well done.


	2. Ten bucks says you're wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This does have dialogue lifted from the movie, obviously this does not belong to me. This is the last chapter where the script is being followed, from the next chapter there should be no (or at least very little) lifted dialogue as my plot will be starting. 
> 
> Also, TRIGGER WARNING, lowkey suicidal ideation from Steve in this chapter. He isn't actively suicidal, but he definitely wouldn't be upset if he happened to die in a manner that was out of his control.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Steve was lost to the muffled sound of his punches landing on the bag in front of him. The repetitiveness of both the action and sound were therapeutic, and definitely needed after the day that he had. 

Just- Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

And then, CRASH!

The bag flung off the chain holding it to ceiling, and crashed into the wall opposite him.

Steve allowed himself a minute to breathe before reaching for a fresh bag from the pile to his right. He had already gone through four of the bags tonight, but he had no interest in stopping any time soon. The reliability of the action was grounding, and something he sorely needed in recent times. SHIELD had 'rescued' him, but Steve wasn't too sure he found it the blessing they delivered the news as. 

Everything he knew and loved was gone. Every _one_ he knew and loved was gone.

Howard was dead, most of his team were dead and even Peggy, who was still alive, barely knew who he was half of the time. Steve honestly felt like he was drowning with how jarring the shift had been.

And even worse than all of that: Bucky was dead. 

He had seen it happen of course. That was one thing that had changed prior to his swan dive into the ice, but it didn't mean that it hurt less. Steve had made the plunge finding peace in the thought that he would soon be joining his intended mate in the afterlife, but even that hadn't gone as planned. 

It seemed like nothing worked the way it was meant to, and as such, the rhythmic thumps of contact upon fabric was one of the few things keeping his head above water.

Yet it appeared that even this comfort wasn’t allowed for him, as before long Director Fury walked through the door and interrupted his forceful meditation. 

“Trouble sleeping?”

Steve could only sigh as the voice filtered through the room. Whilst he appreciated that he wasn’t being coddled, the sarcastic tone of the director rubbed him the wrong way. Of course he had trouble sleeping! You try waking up in a world that was so different to your own, yet so similar that everything just confused you. 

Still, Bucky didn’t used to call him a punk for no reason, Steve could very easily give just as good as he got,

“I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill.”

No one ever said that he had to spill his heart to the director of SHIELD, after all. Though saying that, Steve is pretty sure that a heart-to-heart talk would have made Fury squirm, and honestly, if Steve was feeling better about the whole situation, that option would seem very tempting. It was Fury’s turn to be uncomfortable for a change.

Still, despite his current unforgiving mood, Fury had been helpful in ensuring that he wasn’t left completely floundering in the modern world. So, despite his misgivings, Steve did listen to him. 

And he’s glad he did.

What Fury was proposing sounded like a great distraction _and_ a way to burn off some of his frustration about the whole situation. Also, it sounded dangerous and well, if he happened to die, what better way than saving the world, right? It would certainly solve a lot of his current issues right now. 

Honestly, it was a win/win, even if he doubted the circumstances surrounding this were as shocking as Fury seemed to think they were. But-

"Ten bucks says you're wrong." 

And really, how was Steve meant to turn down a challenge like that?

* * *

Natasha was stressed.

Sure, nothing of her outward appearance would suggest as much, but it was true. She was stressed, and honestly just wanted a nap right now. 

When the day had begun, everything had been going as planned. Her 'captives' were a lot more idiotic than usual, and her information gathering had been occurring at an above average rate. Information that had long-been sought after by SHIELD had all-but fallen into her lap, and at the time it had felt like a good omen.

Of course she didn't believe in such superstition, but Natasha found that there was a heavy amount of truth to the idea that a good success made less pleasant things much easier to deal with. It was all in the mind, and if there was one thing she was good at, it was understanding how the mind worked and what made it tick.

But no amount of success could have prepared her for what came next.

A phone call which had lasted less than a minute and had comprised of few words. It contained but a single sentence from one of the two people in the entire world that she trusted, but that was all that was needed. 

For with a single sentence, her entire world came crashing down around her:

"Barton has been compromised." 

Of course, she had known that it was always a possibility, but as she had discovered throughout the years, one thing always remained constant. No amount of training could ever adequately prepare you for real life. Sure, you could be _prepared_ for things, but you would never know if that preparation would pay off until what you had been dreading finally happened. 

Still, Natasha was nothing if not resilient and her ability to compartmentalise was one of the best. She knew how to redirect fear and anger into something much more productive, and was taking full advantage of that skill now. Barton was _her_ mate. He was her _Beta, and God help anyone who got in her way on her journey to retrieve him._

She was willing to do anything to save her bonded, even if that meant talking to a guy who could easily 'hulk out' and kill her.

* * *

_Safe._

The concept of being safe seemed so foreign to Bruce. He honestly could not remember a time in which he had truly felt 100% safe and secure. Those feelings of unease had just multiplied to more extreme levels in recent years, due to _the other guy_.

Now, not only did others pose a danger to him, but he was now a danger to others.

Even after all this time, and many attempts to control the never-ending anger which consumes him, Bruce still could not say with complete honesty that he has come to terms with everything that has happened to him. Yet despite all that, there was one thing that he knew he could control, and that was visibility. 

Removing himself from big cities and constant surveillance seemed to be the easiest solution, and for the first time since Harlem that he felt he had any control. 

It had been the first time he had ever felt _safe_.

Perhaps that had been naïve of him, but he had thought that he had disappeared from the eyes of any government agency. Bruce had genuinely believed that he was off the grid, and that he was in no more danger from government officials who were out for blood. 

Evidently that had not been the case.

What he had originally assumed would be an average night of work, had now turned into what appeared to be a stand-off. The red-headed woman who approached him seemed harmless, but he knew better than most that appearances could be deceiving. 

Every single one of her actions seemed to be solely for the purpose of capitalising on her already non-threatening appearance. Her voice was unnaturally soft, she was snuggled into a comforting-looking wrap, and every movement that she made was broadcast clearly. 

Bruce didn't trust her.

Especially when his suspicions that her claims of them being "all alone" were false had been confirmed. Trusting her now would just be asking for trouble.

Still, it didn't look as if he had much choice. If these guys managed to find him, who's to say that Ross or someone worse wasn't right around the corner? 

At least these people had revealed themselves, and though he's sure they were hiding a lot of things, they seemed pretty open about their main reason for wanting him. They showed their hand when they could have remained secret or just kidnapped him- they're desperate. 

For all intents and purposes the ball was in his court and he would like to think that he's got a pretty good read on them already. 

Better the devil you know, right?


End file.
